Rivalry, Take II - Taking Steps
by I.W.P-chan
Summary: ShuAke Confidant Week Day 7: Conclusions/Betrayal. After joining the team, Ren gets Goro caught up on the Thieves' full situation.


Summary: ShuAke Confidant Week Day 7: Conclusions/Betrayal. After joining the team, Ren gets Goro caught up on the Thieves' full situation.

 _Note: this fic kept dragging on and on I thought it would never be over._

 **Warnings: Goro And Ren Like To Talk A Lot, I Can't Believe This Is Finally Done [Throws Confetti].**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own P5.

.

It was evening, with just Ren at Leblanc, doing the dishes, when Goro entered the café, almost ( _almost!_ ) dragging his feet behind him, sporting a look of utter betrayal on his face.

"Why?" He simply asked as he dropped to one of the chairs.

"Why what?" Ren shot back as he turned off the tap and dried his hands before he went to start working on preparing Goro's usual order.

"Why are your Thieves like that?"

"Like what?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Ren could feel Goro's glare attempting to drill a hole into him.

Ren winked, "How did you like your date with Ann?"

"It wasn't a date!"

"If you say so." Ren placed a cup of coffee and a plate of curry in front of Goro, "You know you're a part of the team now, accept the love and appreciation."

Goro made a strangled sound at the back of his throat, "That's not. That's not the point! Why are they all acting towards me like- like you?!"

Ren blinked at him, before a mischievous grin stretched across his face, "Because, Tantei-san, they're phantom thieves, and you're the resident detective who caught them. So, _naturally_." Ren wiggled his fingers at Goro, who stared back at him with horror dawning on his face.

"They're supposed to be normal people! They're not even that firmly entrenched in Phantom Thief Etiquette!"

Ren gasped dramatically, clutching at his chest above his heart, "Are you implying that anything associated with me is, in any way, normal? And that I wouldn't teach my, as you put it, merry band of thieves, anything about phantom thievery? I'm almost offended."

Goro's lips twisted downwards at the corner, "When did you get all gutsy? I almost got used to your cowardly ways."

Ren folded his arms together and sniffed imperiously, "I'll have you know that I have Lionhearted Guts, I'm just weak to you."

Goro's frown immediately turned into a lecherous grin, "Oh, really now?"

Ren sniffed again, "Don't let it get to your head."

Goro nodded mock-seriously, "Don't worry, darling. I wouldn't dare."

Ren snorted, "Finish your food and coffee so I can close up shop."

Goro blinked and his eyes turned to check his watch, "Oh, I didn't realize it was so late."

"It's fine." Ren shrugged, "We can go out somewhere and hang out, since we're still banned by Sojiro from being in the attic together without supervision."

"Morgana is not here?"

"Nope. Haru came and took him with her today. He'll be spending the night at her place."

.

It didn't take long before Goro was done, and the two walked out of Leblanc, with Ren locking the café behind them.

"So, where are we going?"

"Shinjuku," Ren said simply, hands casually shoved into his pockets.

"Shinjuku?" Goro raised an eyebrow at him, "Really?"

"Hush." Ren lightly nudged Goro with his shoulder, "It's not what you think, you horny bastard. I have a couple of people I want to meet there."

"Oh?" Goro cradled his chin between thumb and index finger, "A foursome?"

Ren huffed, "Get your mind out of the gutter. Honestly, I didn't think you'd have dirty thoughts in your brain all day long."

"Oh?" Goro gave him a challenging look, "You didn't?"

Ren forced down a blush, "Oh, shut up. Let's get going."

"Whatever you say, my awkward, blushing virgin."

Ren hissed at him, "I'm not blushing!"

"You didn't deny being an awkward virgin."

Ren turned his head away from Goro, "What if I wasn't a virgin in the first place, anyway?"

Goro didn't respond, and silence stretched.

When a few minutes passed and Ren didn't hear Goro give a snarky comeback, he turned his head back to check on Goro, concerned and curious about what could have come over him, to see Goro stare back at him, perplexed.

"What is it?"

"You? Not a virgin?" Goro asked, incredulity clear in his voice.

"Why not?!" Ren frowned.

"I didn't think you had the guts for it, for one. For two, if you did have sex with someone, you would have let it slip to me and then teased me about it."

"Well, it's not like you're any better, Tantei-san, you're married to your work. I'm just a mistress on the side."

Goro leered as he pressed closer to Ren's side, "Look at it this way, I didn't kiss my work before and take it out on dates and flirt with it, like I do with you."

Ren tapped his index finger against his chin, "Does that mean I stole your first kiss."

Goro snorted, "I'd argue you that I gave you my first kiss, and you demanded more."

Ren hummed thoughtfully, "Well, it wasn't so bad. For your first time."

Goro blinked down at him, "Wait, what does that mean?" He frowned, "Did you kiss someone else before?"

"And what if I did?" Ren hummed, "Jealous?"

Goro sniffed in indignation, "More like, I would have done my absolute best to make sure your first kissing experience with me would have been leagues better."

"Hey, chin up, you can still try again and again to create a better, more memorable experience, right?" Ren smirked, "I'm not going to be leaving any time soon."

In response, Goro slipped an arm around Ren's waist, ducked his head to press his face against Ren's neck, and gently pushed Ren against the nearest wall.

"I guess no time is like the present," Goro murmured against Ren's neck, lips brushing against skin, and sending pleasant shivers through Ren's body.

Ren threw an arm over his eyes while his other hand clutched the back of Goro's shirt, "Not here." He almost whined, "Someone could see and tell Sojiro, and I don't want to deal with that."

Goro grinned sharply, and Ren's hand clenched tighter around the fabric of Goro's shirt due to the sensation, "I'm pretty sure we can find a nice, private bathroom stall at the station."

Ren removed his arm from his eyes to glare down at Goro, who looked back at him with twinkling eyes, "Absolutely not. Now, get off. We'll never reach Shinjuku before it's too late in the evening, at this rate."

.

They somehow, somehow, arrived at Shinjuku without further delay (or looking disheveled).

Ren dragged Goro through the roads until the two stopped at Chihaya's table.

"Hey, Chihaya." He greeted her, and she responded with a gentle smile.

"Hello, Ren. Are you here to get your fortune read?" She looked at Goro, "Oh, and is this your boyfriend?"

Goro stared back at her blankly, and Ren nudged him with an elbow, "Goro, be nice," He whispered furiously in his ear before turning to Chihaya with a sheepish smile, "Please don't mind him. He's terrible at meeting new people."

Goro scoffed. Chihaya observed him closely, eyes intent, "Would you like to have your fortune read? First time is free."

Goro opened his mouth, clearly ready to decline, but Ren grabbed him by the arm and shoved him to sit on the free stool, facing Chihaya.

"Come on, Goro. Everyone else met Chihaya, so there is no reason for you not to accept her offer." Ren smiled wickedly, "Who knows what she might say."

Goro turned with hidden apprehension towards Chihaya, who maintained her serene expression, watching him with curiosity. She leaned forward, "It's him, isn't he?" She asked Ren, "From your love fortune readings."

Goro raised an eyebrow, and Ren blushed.

" _Chihaya!_ " He hissed in embarrassment, and she smothered a tinkling laugh into her hand.

"No, I have to hear to this." Goro smirked, "Love fortune readings?"

" _Shhh!_ " Ren hissed again, face aflame.

Chihaya cleared her throat, "Well, before we delay any further, let's get your reading started, Akechi-kun."

.

While Chihaya started on the reading, Ren kept a close eye on Goro's face as his boyfriend focused his attention down at the cards, clearly sensing that Chihaya wasn't like any ordinary fortune teller, but still wary.

Chihaya flipped the last card around, and stared intently at the spread of cards in front of her.

"There is a shadow, it has been looming over you your whole life, and it's getting closer to you, ready to steal something very precious to you, once more."

Goro frowned at the cards, and Ren copied the gesture, wondering about the identity of the person Chihaya just mentioned.

(His mind wandered back to when he first dug up details about Goro, thoughts lingering about a mother who committed suicide, a father who had never been in the picture, and a son who refused to talk about either of them.)

"Webs of plans are about to reach their conclusion, yours included. Whether or not you accept aid of others determines your success in protecting yourself from this shadow." Chihaya frowned as she raised her head to look at Goro, who wiped the frown on his face the moment he saw Chihaya shift in her seat, "This is ominous." She bit her lower lip before tilting her head to catch Ren's gaze, and he nodded resolutely at her. She looked back at Goro, who'd been observing the exchange with a neutral expression on his face.

"I hope you don't let it drag you down." Chihaya smiled, "Your future is not set in stone, you can still change it and escape from this shadow."

Goro nodded and rose from his chair, "Thank you, Chihaya-san." He looked at Ren and ushered at the stool, "And you? Isn't there a reason you wanted to see her that didn't involve me?"

Ren and Chihaya exchanged looks and Chihaya shook her head, "Maybe next time. I think it's best if you and Akechi-kun didn't have to worry about your reading, too."

"What do you mean about that?" Goro asked, tone sharp and gaze narrowed on Chihaya who, to her credit, didn't flinch under his gaze, "Worry about Ren's reading? What about Ren's reading?"

"Oh!" Chihaya's eyes widened slightly, "I didn't want to burden you with anything else in case Ren's readings ended up predicting a terrible future." She nodded to herself, "I don't want you to dwell on it, especially when it's not set in stone. Fate can be changed, if you put your mind into it. If anyone can do it, then Ren can. Now, go."

Ren, thankful to Chihaya's intervention, grabbed Goro's hand and pulled him away in the direction of Crossroads.

He certainly didn't want Goro to be around if his readings decided to spell out 'death' for him again.

"Where are we going?"

"To Crossroads. It's a bar."

"You're underage."

"I don't drink. The owner won't let me anyway." Ren huffed in amusement, "I work there from time to time, it's a good place to gather intel on potential targets. Besides, one of the people I know usually stays there. I wanted to talk to her about someone."

"A target?"

"A possible target. I know the name is a hit in the Nav, and I know the coordinates, but this one is on a different scale, so I want to gather as much information as I can about him." Ren pulled Goro after him into the short corridor leading to Crossroads' entrance.

"And who's the target?" Goro inquired, curiosity easy to discern from his tone.

Ren turned to face Goro, walking closer to him to whisper, "He's a politician running for the position of Prime Minister. Currently, he's a cabinet minister-" Ren stopped when he saw Goro stare at him in shock, color draining from his face.

"Who?" He whispered, voice strained, "His name?"

Ren frowned at him worriedly, unsure whether it was fine to tell him if that was his reaction just from hearing the man's description (he wondered if Goro knew, knew more than Ren did about the target, and wondered how and why that possibly could be), "Shido Masayoshi."

Goro's grip on his hand tightened until it hurt.

"Goro!" He hissed, "My hand!"

Goro's grip relaxed, but only enough so it wouldn't hurt, and he didn't seem keen on letting go of Ren's hand anytime soon, as if he worried Ren would vanish into thin air if he did, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, what's wrong?"

Goro spent a few moments just breathing deeply, in and out, until he managed to twist his expression into something more composed, though his face remained a bit pale, "How do you know about him?"

"That's. A long story. And I don't think we should talk about it in the open like this more than we already have."

Goro exhaled, "You're right."

"You're in luck, however, as the person I'm meeting at the bar today is the reason I became aware of him, so we can get a head start on the explanation tonight if we manage to get somewhere private." Ren thought back to the things he knew about Shido (boy, was Goro in for a big surprise), "Otherwise, we will still be holding a meeting the day after tomorrow to discuss everything and get your input, as we haven't reached a decision about what to do next. There are a lot of things happening at the moment, as you well know."

Goro nodded, "You still haven't filled me in on what you're plans are in regards to what happened after the incidents involving Okumura and Kobayakawa, and we haven't had a meeting since the last, and first, time."

Ren hummed and grabbed Goro's other hand with his free hand, squeezing it reassuringly, and allowing Goro to tighten his hold on it as well.

"As for the place," Goro said, "Would you be opposed to staying the night at my place?"

Ren blinked at him, "That's. Unexpected. I don't mind, but I don't have a change of clothes to sleep in."

"You can borrow some of mine."

Ren arched an amused eyebrow, "How forward of you."

Goro gave him an unimpressed look.

"Alright, fine. It's settled. Luckily, it's not a school day tomorrow. Now let's get in already. We've been standing around in the open long enough." With that said, Ren turned around, freeing one of his hands from Goro's grip, which Goro let go of, reluctantly, to open the door.

They were greeted by Lala, who tilted her head towards the door and nodded in their direction, "Ah, it's you. And you brought company, I see."

Ohya was sitting on one of the bar stools as usual, staring down at the glass of water placed in front of her at the counter.

"Lala-chan!" She whined, not giving the new arrivals any of her attention, "Why water?! Again?!"

Lala huffed, "I told you, you've had enough for the night."

Ren stepped forward, walking towards Ohya to settle down on the stool next to hers, Goro right behind him.

"Oh, it's you." Ohya beamed at him when she noticed him, "And oh, is this the Detective Prince I see with you?" Ohya narrowed her eyes at Goro, "Curious company you keep with you. You know who he is, right?"

Ren smiled gently, touched by her implied concern, "Yes, I do."

"So, what brings you here tonight?" She braced her elbow on the counter and propped her cheek on her closed fist, "Here to give me info, here to ask for info, here for Lala-chan, or are you out for a fun night with the handsome young man sitting next to you?" She leered, "You know Lala-chan is a spoilsport and won't let you have any alcohol."

Ren chuckled in amusement, "I'm here for what I asked you about last time, you messaged me yesterday saying that you have it ready for me to take."

The cheer melted away from her face, leaving behind a look of utter seriousness, "I said it before, and I'm going to say it again: be careful. This isn't anything like anyone you've dealt with before."

Ren nodded. She reached towards her hair, slipping a simple flower hairpin out of her bangs and offering it to Ren, who accepted it, "Thank you."

Ohya leaned forward, "You're helping me out a lot with this. You know I'm always ready to help you, too, right?"

Ren nodded again, "Of course, and thank you again."

Ohya leaned back, waving his thanks away, "You don't need to thank me, not for this."

Ren carefully slipped the pin into his hair, easily concealing it among the curls, and stood up, "I got to go then. I still have other things to do."

Ohya's eyes sparked mischievously, "Like the hot piece of detective standing next you?"

Ren winked, "Maybe."

Goro cleared his throat loudly, and sent a pointed stare Ren's way.

"See you later, Ohya, Lala-chan."

"Later, kid!"

"Take care while out!"

.

The trip to Goro's apartment passed in companionable silence, and Ren took the chance to text Futaba about his plans to stay over at Goro's place.

 **Ren:** hey Futaba

 **Futaba:** what is it?

 **Futaba:** is this an SOS signal?

 **Futaba:** you want someone to save you from Goro's presence

 **Futaba:** is he being a bitch again?

 **Ren:** Goro is just being Goro

 **Ren:** I'm just texting to tell you that I'm staying the night at his place

 **Futaba:** GASP

 **Futaba:** HOW SCANDALOUS

 **Futaba:** HOW BOLD

 **Ren:** Futaba

 **Futaba:** what?

 **Futaba:** alright fine

 **Futaba:** you want me to tell Sojiro?

 **Futaba:** how am I supposed to tell Sojiro about this?

 **Futaba:** 'oh by the way, the kid you basically adopted is sleeping over at his boyfriend's apartment'

 **Futaba:** 'the same boyfriend you banned from staying with Ren alone in Ren's room'

 **Futaba:** 'just a heads up'

 **Futaba:** 'you don't gotta worry or anything :D'

 **Futaba:** that will go over well

 **Ren:** Futaba

 **Ren:** Nothing is going to happen

 **Futaba:** right. Sure.

 **Ren:** I mean it.

 **Ren:** neither of us is in the mood to do anything tonight

 **Futaba:** uh-huh

 **Ren:** I told him about Bald Guy

 **Futaba:** Oooh

 **Ren:** but seeing as we were in public and he wanted more info, we needed to find someplace private to talk about

 **Ren:** and it will be a long conversation

 **Ren:** it may run long after the trains stop for the night

 **Ren:** and since Goro, as you pointed out, is banned from staying over at my room

 **Ren:** the only solution is to stay over at his place

 **Futaba:** alright I GUESS

 **Futaba:** I'll find a way to tell Sojiro without having him freak out on you two

 **Ren:** you're a lifesaver, 'Taba

 **Futaba:** bow before me, mortal

 **Ren:** tomorrow

 **Ren:** oh, and I met with Ohya

 **Ren:** got the info she promised you

 **Futaba:** YES

 **Futaba:** WHEN WILL YOU BRING IT OVER

 **Ren:** tomorrow morning, of course

 **Futaba:** riiiiight. Of course.

 **Ren:** see you tomorrow

 **Ren:** don't stay up all night again, and good night

 **Futaba:** oh come on YOU don't get to lecture me about bad sleeping habits

Ren exited out of the chatting app, ignoring Futaba's slew of messages, complaining about his hypocrisy, no doubt. He locked his phone, and slipped it back into his pocket before he leaned fully against Goro, dropping his head on Goro's shoulder, absolutely glad there were vacant seats next to each other (and even if there was only one, Ren wasn't opposed to the idea of making Goro sit on it before he sat on Goro's lap).

"Don't fall sleep on me," Goro murmured, dropping his head on Ren's.

"Oh, don't worry. We still have a long night ahead of us, no?"

.

Goro's apartment was a bit tidier than the last time he'd been in it, Ren observed from where he stood at the doorway.

Goro ushered him towards the couch, "Make yourself at home."

Ren blinked at him before quietly stepping towards the couch and sitting down on it, "Don't mind if I do."

"Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No, it's best if we just get started."

Goro sat down next to him, face drawn into a serious expression, "So, Shido?"

"Remember the woman we met at the bar, who gave me the pin?"

"Yes."

"She's a journalist, she's currently assigned to work on entertainment articles, but she used to cover more serious issues in her articles, until her partner was framed and she was reassigned. Her former partner was one of the Collapse victims."

Goro narrowed his eyes at Ren, and Ren almost smiled as his hunch that Goro knew something about Shido and the Collapses was proven correct, but he suppressed the urge and kept talking.

"The person she and her partner were investigating was involved with Shido, that's what put us on his trail, and we started looking into him. We tried his name on the Nav, and it was a hit for a Palace. It took us some time before we figured out the other two keywords-"

"And did you go to his Palace?" Goro interrupted, lips pressed into a thin line, showing his displeasure.

"Yes, we did."

Goro inhaled deeply, and then let the air whoosh out of his chest, and that confirmed for Ren that Goro knew about what the Palace entailed.

"Go on."

"We didn't explore much, as we stuck to gathering intel from the cognitions inside the first area we reached in the Palace. Our investigation was put on hold when we had to deal with Okumura's Palace. And then, well." Ren gestured vaguely, "You know what happened with Okumura. We held a meeting afterwards, and started researching again, and reached the theory that Okumura was connected with Shido, and for some reason, Shido decided that he wanted to dispose of Okumura, and thus, Okumura's Collapse."

"What made you think that?"

"Haru told us her father had political aspirations, he wanted to set sail to the political world, as he put it. She suggested that her father may have planned to turn on some of his political associates, and that could have been the reason behind his death."

"You don't seem to find this theory wild?"

"I've seen and heard the things his Shadow said, I won't be surprised if it was the truth."

Goro nodded thoughtfully and Ren continued.

"Besides, the poll ranking Okumura as #1 for a target was rigged. The forum was hacked. Someone put Okumura there intentionally."

"And that's why you're planning to go after Shido?"

Ren nodded, "According to Futaba, whoever rigged the poll was also behind the fake Medjed threat back in August. The way we figured it out-"

"You were set up," Goro murmured, eyes narrowed and glinting with anger, "Someone set you up to deal with Medjed, raising your publicity, and then forced you to take on Okumura before killing him during the broadcast, making you take the blame for the Collapses." He exhaled angrily, "But how would he know to time it so correctly? Unless he knew about the broadcast… The president!"

"Yes. And so, we reached the conclusion that Shido could possibly be coming after us to silence us. The task force created to capture us along with the bounty on our heads confirms it."

Goro stood up and headed to the kitchen to rummage around in the fridge and take out a bottle of water that he chugged down in one go. After he finished, he slammed the empty plastic bottle down on the countertop.

" _Go on._ " He growled. Damn, he was really angry.

"At this point, we're stuck on what to do. Do we take Shido on directly, or do we deal with the police?"

"How are you planning to deal with the police?" Goro scowled, "They're persistent. And assholes. And the task force assigned to this whole bullshit business is corrupt as fuck and I don't want any leaks in _my_ division. And Niijima Sae is heading the investigation, too." He snarled, "I've been making it difficult for her to operate in the station because, frankly, I don't want her or the people under her command tracking mud everywhere, but she's not budging."

"Well, Niijima Sae is how we're planning to try to deal with the police. She has a Palace."

"She does?" Goro wrinkled his nose, "Oh, great, just great. What about Makoto? What's her say in all of this?"

"Believe it or not, she was the one who brought this to our attention."

"She knew?" He raised an impressed eyebrow.

"She did. She said it was the reason she agreed to continue working with us."

"Huh. So you're hoping that by getting Niijima to reconsider what she's doing, she could help in taking a bit of the edge of the situation off?"

"Yes. And she's a persecutor, so she would be a big help in taking Shido down."

"How are you planning to go about that? You know, a change of heart would be counterproductive. Who knows how long it will take Niijima out of commission? We can't afford to take too long."

"And that's why we're planning to try to talk her back into her senses. By introducing her to her own Shadow."

Goro stared at him in shock, "What?"

Ren shrugged, "Again, it was Makoto's plan initially. We're hoping that having her confront her own Shadow would make her see sense again."

"That's… not bad." Goro frowned, "But how safe would it be?"

Ren sighed, "Not sure. The only precedent we have to such a case is Futaba, and even then her circumstances were different from this."

"So you're planning to meet up to decide who to go after next? Shido's Palace or Niijima's Palace?"

"Yes. I'm going to stock up on supplies tomorrow. We're going to meet up, pick a direction, and go. Immediately. We don't have any time to waste."

The two quieted down then, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey," Ren called out, "You want to know a funfact?"

Goro made an inquisitive sound as he walked back to sit next to Ren, pressing his body against him, and wrapping his arms around Ren's waist, "What is it?"

"Back in May, after we had changed Kamoshida's heart, we went to a buffet to celebrate our success. At the time, the whole heart stealing business was meant to be a one-time deal. We didn't plan to start a business. But then Ryuji and I had to go the bathroom, and guess whom we met at the elevator?"

"Who? Shido?" Goro snorted, and Ren nodded. Goro almost gaped at him, " _Seriously?_ "

"Yep! His men shoved us away from the doors and he sneered at us. Ryuji was less than enthused about it. And it wasn't like I was happy about it, either. When we went back to the buffet and regrouped with Ann, who was also seething from another guest at the buffet, we decided someone has to put those shitty, rude adults in place. And so, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were formed. Officially."

Goro inhaled deeply, "Are you telling me that Shido is indirectly responsible for the whole team's existence?"

"It gets better. Or worse, depending on how you look at it."

"How can it even get worse?" Goro asked blandly.

Ren inhaled, bracing himself for the ensuing Gorosplosion, and Goro stared at him suspiciously, clearly sensing from Ren's actions that this was something that was going to get him downright seething.

"Yeah, you know about my probation? And the assault charge?" Ren started apprehensively, and Goro tightened his hold on Ren, dread rolling off of him in waves as anger started to spark in his eyes.

" _Oh, don't tell me…_ " He hissed.

"It was Shido."

Goro stilled in place, taking a deep breath before standing up and heading to the bathroom, where he shut himself inside, the door letting out a loud bang from the force Goro used to close it.

Ren could hear the sound of the water tap running, and something splashing.

Minutes passed before Goro emerged from the bathroom, face and bangs wet.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Goro hissed, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if resisting the urge to wrap his hands around someone's (preferably Shido's) neck and squeezing.

"Don't go murdering people on me now," Ren said dryly, standing up, "It's too late for a murder spree. And too spontaneous." He walked towards Goro, grabbing his hands and tugging him towards the bedroom, "Come on, it's late. Time for our sleepover."

Goro exhaled, stretching his neck and pushing all his anger aside. "Alright." He nodded, following after Ren, "Are you going to tell me all about the people you like?"

"And paint your nails? And brush your hair and braid it?"

"I'm not saying no to hair brushing and braiding. But unfortunately I don't have any supplies to let you paint my nails, so we'll have to put that aside to the next time I do." Goro gently pulled from Ren when they stopped next to Goro's bed, and walked towards the closet to rummage around it for some clothes.

"Here." Goro returned with a change of clothes, "I'll turn around or leave if-" He snapped his mouth shut, jaw clacking, when he saw Ren carelessly pull off his jacket and tug his shirt over his head, right in front of him.

"What's the matter?" Ren asked, winking cheekily as he reached for his belt buckle, relishing the blush illuminating Goro's face, and the way his eyes locked on Ren's figure, staring intently with his pupils blown wide, "Cat got your tongue?"

Goro made a strangled noise at the back of his throat and forced himself to twist his body to the side, "Give a man a warning!"

"Next time?" Ren chuckled as his pants hit the floor and he reached towards the sweatpants Goro gave him, "Sure thing."

Goro choked, " _Next time!_ "

"Yes." Ren tugged the hems of the pants' legs a bit to pull them over his heels so they wouldn't drag on the floor, and then reached for the long-sleeved t-shirt, "Of course there will be a next time, why are you surprised?"

Goro dropped his face into his hands and mumbled something unintelligible.

Ren hummed thoughtfully as he twisted his body this way and that to check how the t-shirt fell on his body. It was a couple of sizes too big, shoulders threatening to slip off of one of Ren's shoulders, sleeves long enough they covered his entire hands, and hem that reached his thighs.

"Well, maybe next time I can ditch the pants and try out the classic sleeping in over-sized boyfriend t-shirt."

Goro chocked again, "What?"

"You heard me. Now get changed, we still have hair-braiding, talking about the guy I like, and sleeping on the schedule for tonight." Ren blinked innocently at Goro, who tentatively raised his head from his hands to stare at Ren and swallow thickly.

Ren then threw his innocent façade aside and sent another cheeky wink Goro's way before gathering his discarded clothes to fold them and put them aside on the small dresser, reaching into his hair to take out the hairpin Ohya gave him and pin it to the collar of the shirt he took off.

"Didn't I tell you to get changed, babe?"

"What if I sleep in the nude?" Goro shot back, clearly trying to gather his wits about him, but Ren was unfazed.

"That'll be a treat." Ren leered at Goro, blatantly eyeing him up and down in a way that left no doubt that he was mentally undressing his boyfriend.

"You're incorrigible." Goro grumbled and shrugged his jacket off.

Ren blew him a kiss, "Oh, am I getting a show?"

Goro huffed, "No."

Ren pouted.

Goro got changed quickly, tossing his clothes aside before flopping down on the bed. Ren stifled a chuckle before he went snooping around the room for a comb and a hair tie.

"You haven't lost all your hair ties again very recently, did you?"

"No. Well, yes, I did. But I got new ones."

"Great, that means we can get to the braiding and maybe keep it until tomorrow."

Quarry found, Ren made his way back to the bed, sitting down next to Goro, who sat up in bed so that Ren could have easier access to his hair.

Ren hummed as his fingers combed through Goro's hair. Goro sighed at the sensation, shoulders relaxing.

"So," Ren started as he began his work on Goro's hair, "The guy I like."

Goro inhaled sharply, suddenly, almost choking on his spit, as Ren's words brought him out of his blissful daze, "Are you serious?!"

"Of course I am, now hold still!"

"Alright…"

"So, the guy I like- oh relax, would you?"

"But I can't relax!"

"Fine. Suit yourself. Anyway, back on topic. There is this detective guy, he keeps chasing phantom thieves, and by god does he look ready to bend you over and fuck you senseless when he's hunting you down."

Goro whined, but Ren continued talking.

"It's the hottest thing ever. I kinda miss it, but I think I got something better going on with him right now. I mean, I'm with him in his bedroom, on his bed, wearing his clothes, and braiding his hair. And he's a blushing mess and it's the most adorable thing ever. It's a shame we're not close to reaching _that_ point yet, or guess who is the person I'd be riding all night lon-"

" _Stop!_ " Goro groaned.

Ren pouted, "But the fun just started."

"I don't want to hear all your filthy fantasies about this guy you fancy."

"Oh? You don't?" Ren leaned forward to whisper hotly into Goro's ear as his fingers kept working on braiding Goro's hair, "Then what about you? Would you tell me about the person you like? I have no problem listening to you list all your filthy fantasies about them. Who knows? Maybe I can help?"

Goro breathed deeply, "You're not really helping," He said, voice strangled.

Ren hummed thoughtfully and tied the braid he finished making, "Well, lucky you, I'm done with the braid, so that means we can go to sleep now. Hope your couch is comfortable, but I doubt it's worse than the one I have at Leblanc, which means I'll be fine anyway." Ren stretched his arms.

Goro stilled.

"Goro?" Ren poked him in the shoulder, "What is it?"

Goro swiftly turned around to pin Ren to the bed. Ren blinked up at him, "How bold of you."

"You're not sleeping on the couch," Goro stated, voice steely, "No one will be sleeping on the couch tonight. We're sharing the bed. Stay here, I'm just going to turn off the lights, so I'll be back with you shortly."

"Okay," Ren responded, voice faint, and Goro nodded, satisfied, before he rose from bed to turn off the lights.

Ren took the opportunity presented to him with Goro separating from him for a few moments to turn around in bed to face the wall and cover his face with his hands as he blushed and tried not to stop functioning after Goro pinned him to the bed.

The lights turned off, and darkness enveloped the room, leaving the moonlight filtering through the curtains as the only illumination in the room.

Ren didn't get much of a reprieve as Goro rejoined him shortly. The bed was too small to let them lie down side by side without touching, instead forcing them to press against each other.

Goro sighed as he wrapped his arms around Ren, pulling him closer so that Ren's back was held against his chest.

"What's gotten into you?" Goro huffed, breath fanning against Ren's neck.

Ren almost whined at the unfairness of it all, "You don't get to pin me to the bed, tell me we'll be sharing it, and then go on like nothing happened!"

"Oh, are you feeling embarrassed?" Goro basically radiated amusement, "Where did all the boldness from earlier go?" Goro whispered, pressing a kiss to Ren's neck.

Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he turned around to stare Goro dead in the eye, "If you keep going like this, I don't think we'll be sleeping for a while yet."

Goro's eyes sparkled mischievously, "Oh? I wonder why?" And then he leaned forward to press a kiss on the underside of Ren's jaw.

Ren shivered, "Goro," He growled.

"Yes, honey?" Goro then moved to press a kiss to the line of Ren's jaw.

"Did you plan this?"

"Of course not. It was a happy coincidence," He purred before he tightened his hold on Ren and buried his face in the side of Ren's neck, "We'll be getting that bastard." He growled, "No one dares to charge you with assault and send you on probation, and then get away with it. I'm going to make him _pay_."

 _Oh_ , Ren exhaled softly, this was going to be a long night.

Goro then confirmed Ren's thoughts when he started peppering Ren's neck with kisses, going lower and lower until he latched onto Ren's collar bones, clearly intent on leaving hickies.

It was going to be a long night, but Ren was going to enjoy it.

.

Morning of the next day was absurdly domestic and casual despite the heavy make-out session of last night. Ren lazily sipped on his tea as he sat on Goro's couch, wearing his clothes from yesterday, except for the shirt he left in Goro's bedroom, choosing to nab one of Goro's turtlenecks to hide the hickies decorating his neck.

Not that Goro's neck fared any better, Ren smugly noted a hickey peeking out from underneath the collar of Goro's shirt as he sat slumped over, almost half asleep over his own cup of tea.

The only unfortunate consequence of last night was that Goro's braid was ruined. But Ren didn't regret raking his hands through Goro's hair and messing it up, so he might just as well redo it.

With a hum, he finished his cup of tea and put it down on the nearest free space on the coffee table in front of him before leaning back and carding his fingers through Goro's hair again.

Goro purred and leaned closer to him. Ren smothered a chuckle as he got to work.

.

The two eventually had to part ways, Ren leaving Goro to think on the current situation to return to Leblanc so he could run his own errands in preparation for tomorrow's Metaverse visit.

When he arrived at the café, Futaba was already at Leblanc, sitting at the counter and fiddling with her phone. She raised her head when she heard the sound of the bell, and almost bolted until she saw that it was Ren.

"You're back," She said, grinning mischievously as her eyes lingered on the turtleneck. Behind the counter, Sojiro stared at him with narrowed eyes, clearly noticing the turtleneck wasn't what Ren was wearing last night when Sojiro left him in charge of the café.

Before Sojiro could start on a parental lecture about acceptable behavior when spending the night at the boyfriend's apartment, Futaba spoke up again, "Where is it? You said you got it! Give!"

Ren snorted and reached towards his hair to slip the hairpin out to give it to Futaba, who wasted no time in snatching it out of his hand and turning it in her hands as she observed it before she bolted out of the café.

"What's gotten into her?" Sojiro asked, and Ren shrugged.

"She's excited to get her hands on some important information. And I should get going too, I have errands to run. Do you want me to get you anything while I'm out?"

Sojiro shook his head, "No. Did you have breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Then get going already before I change my mind."

"Sure. See you later, Boss!"

Ren waved and made his way out of the café, going through his mental checklist for the day: stocking up on medicine, upgrading the guns, buying materials to craft lockpicks and spare ammo in the evening.

With a roll of his shoulders, he made his way to Takemi's clinic, already feeling his wallet crying.

(His only consolation was that Phantom Thieves Funds had been replenished the last time they were in Mementos.)

.

The next day, the Phantom Thieves trickled into Leblanc's attic with their faces set into serious expressions. Goro brought up the rear, determination sparking in his eyes, and looking ready to tie a noose around someone's neck.

They gathered around their usual table, and Morgana hopped onto it, his tail lazily whipping around as he started talking, "So, about our current situation…" He tilted his head to stare at Goro, and Ren waved a hand.

"I filled him in."

Morgana nodded, "That means it's time to come to a decision now. What do you guys think? Go after Makoto's sister, or go after Shido?"

Yusuke hummed thoughtfully, "Going after Makoto's sister first would be a good idea."

Haru nodded, "We could gain her as an ally, and she could help us with Shido."

"Best to get all we can get before we go after Shido." Futaba pushed her glasses up her nose.

"Besides, Makoto's sister is chasing after us," Ann said, fiddling nervously with her hair, "If we can convince her that we're innocent, we can at least get some more breathing room, right?"

"And, well, it would make sense if she's the one proving Shido's the guy behind the Collapses because it's her case, right?" Ryuji shrugged, "That's why she's chasing after us. If we point her at a different target…"

Makoto tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "You know I'm all for getting rid of Sis' Palace."

Morgana nodded and turned to Ren and Goro, "The majority is in agreement, myself included, what about you two?"

Goro half-shrugged, "I'm in agreement, as well."

Ren tapped his fingers on the table, "Guess it's decided, we'll be going after Niijima Sae first."

"Before we head out," Goro said, and the Thieves all blinked at him in curiosity, "I'd like to say, that I've been investigating Shido too for a while, and I already have accumulated evidence and lists of names of associates, and evidence on the shady dealings of those associates."

Futaba raised her hand, "Ooh, ooh! There is also the intel Ren brought from his journalist friend."

Goro nodded, "As much as I hate to say it, I'd be willing to pitch in the information I gathered and work with Niijima to chuck Shido's ass into jail." He grinned sharply, "Kicking him off his high horse and watching him fall from grace would be more than worth it."

The Thieves shared conspiring looks and mischievous grins, and Ren had never felt more elated after a meeting.

"Alright, let's get going then."

.

Niijima Sae's Palace was a casino.

"Huh." Crow crossed his arms and stared at the casino that stood where the courthouse should be, "How curious. Mona and I are the only two people who've changed appearance."

"True." Queen frowned thoughtfully, "We're outside the building, and none of us changed in appearance, but you two did. Mona is a different case, though- he always changes appearance whenever we enter the Metaverse, no matter where we end up. This makes me wonder: how much did you antagonize my sister, Crow?"

Crow sent her a shark-like grin, "We're basically having a turfwar at the police station, heading two opposing sides." He gestured over his shoulder towards where the police station stood in the distance. The windows glowed unnaturally, as if rows of powerful spotlights shone out of them, and poles rose high on the roof, with what looked like ragged black flags fluttering in the breeze.

And then there were the random, bright, color splashes against the building, as if someone splashed the entire contents of dozens of paint buckets on walls from the outside.

"A turfwar, huh?" Panther murmured, eyes wide as she looked back at Crow, who oozed smugness.

Joker smothered down the pride radiating from him, and ushered everyone to follow him into the casino.

.

Once inside, they were quickly confronted with Shadow Niijima, who zeroed in on Crow and glared at him, " _You!_ " She snarled, "What are you doing here? This is _my_ territory!"

Crow looked at his nails in disinterest, "Oh, it is? One learns new things every day."

"Get out of here you insolent brat! Or I'll make you!" She snapped her fingers, and one of the Shadows standing behind her stepped forward to stand between them and Shadow Niijima, who huffed in annoyance, and stepped towards the elevator.

"You just have to keep antagonizing her, don't you?" Queen shook her head. Crow didn't look repentant in the slightest.

The team took the Shadow on, and once they defeated it, they approached the elevator, to try to use it to follow Shadow Niijima.

Keyword being _try_.

"We need a membership card to use it." Mona hummed thoughtfully.

"Where do you think we could get one?" Noir wondered.

"Let's take a look around and see what else we find," Joker declared, his eyes sweeping through the hall to check for any doors they could try out.

The frontline members nodded and stepped closer to him to follow him while the back-up team lingered with Oracle, next to the elevator.

That was when the sound of crashing glass made them twist their heads to stare at a broken glass window, and the figure that just landed after jumping through it.

The cognitions in the casino scattered around in fear, keeping their distance from the figure that rose to their feet and dusted themself off.

The Thieves found themselves staring at the figure in shock when they took notice of their face.

Dressed in ripped jeans, a plain, white turtleneck, a black unbuttoned jacket, and a pair of sneakers, with brown hair tied back in a ponytail, bangs framing a familiar face sporting an arrogant grin. Red-eyes glinted as Niijima Sae's Cognitive Goro stared at them as if contemplating how to squash them underfoot like a bug.

Before the Thieves could utter a word of shock, Shadows swarmed the area, rushing in the cognition's direction.

Mind racing, Joker gestured for the frontline team to go to the Cognitive Goro's aid; if the Shadows treated him like an intruder, there was a slim chance that he could be of help to the Thieves.

Before the Thieves could reach the cognition to aid him, he did something unexpected- he melted into a Shadow form.

Standing tall with a red cloak draped over his figure, hood half-covering his face, a face which sported skull-like marking, his multi-colored limbs were long and slender, and a doll dangled from its strings attached to the control bar held in his hand, the cognition's Shadow form gestured with a hand, and an Eigaon struck the nearest Shadow, knocking it back a few paces.

Thankfully, the Shadow form of Cognitive Goro seemed to also believe in the 'enemy of my enemy is my friend', and so he and the Thieves combined forces to clear out the swarm of Shadows.

After they finished, he stepped towards them, reverting back to a human like form.

"Oh, intruders in Niijima's very own casino." The cognition seemed very amused, "What are you doing in here?"

The Thieves traded looks before Joker spoke up, "We have some business with the manager but she eludes us. She just went up the elevator, and we can't follow without a membership card."

"You want a membership card?" Cognitive Goro's eyes sparkled mischievously, "I know just the place. Follow me!" The cognition then sauntered away, and the Thieves stared at his back, slack-jawed. He turned back towards them with a raised eyebrow, "What? You don't want that card?"

The Thieves scrambled to follow after him.

"Why are you being so helpful towards us?" Crow asked, eyes scrutinizing his cognitive self, who shrugged.

"Well, you seem like trouble for Niijima, and I'm always on board with trouble for Niijima."

"Well," Crow muttered under his breath, "Can't argue with that."

Joker muffled a snort, "Our first ever accurate cognition of someone and it's of Crow. And the two are not going at each other's throat, attempting to brutally murder each other."

Crow huffed and Joker smirked.

.

End

Yes, the Collapses are this AU's version of the mental shutdowns. And Cognitive Akechi turned into Nebiros.


End file.
